1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to physical fitness training, and specifically to a device or plurality of independent devices affixed to selected body parts for privately and discretely signaling to a user at predetermined intervals to flex or contract the muscles at the selected body part for the purposes of improving or maintaining muscle tone and strength.
2. Description of Related Art
One's physical fitness and appearance are of great concern to most of the population. A person's physical appearance influences the style of clothing one wears, one's physical activities, affects one's confidence and mental outlook. To improve one's physical appearance through weight loss, many turn to exercise. Often a person's appearance and the desire to improve one's physical strength or stamina can be to some a source of embarrassment or modesty, and those who are embarrassed may forego exercising rather than exercise in public. This is one reason for the proliferation of home exercise machines, that is, the idea that one can exercise in one's home without being subjected to the view of others.
It has been shown that one way to improve one's fitness and physical appearance is through a consistent exercise regimen along with a proper diet. While most people can maintain a new diet program without significant disruption of their daily routine it is very difficult to initiate or maintain an exercise regimen without significantly rearranging one's daily schedule. One must also have the discipline to execute and maintain a fitness regimen, which for most people is difficult. For this reason, many people quit most exercise programs before they have a chance to be effective or have difficulty finding or making the time to exercise regularly. Without some consistent form of exercise, one can suffer from weak or lack of overall body muscle tone and strength. Other factors such as age, stress, improper posture, pregnancy, childbirth, disability or simply a sedentary lifestyle usually contribute to less than desirable body muscle tone. Poor muscle strength can inhibit one from beginning a fitness regimen. Furthermore, a lower body ratio of muscle-to-fat can slow the body's metabolism and reduce its aptitude for burning excess fat. Conversely, a higher ratio of muscle-to-fat can increase the body's ability to burn excess fat and provide more energy for exercising. Therefore, there are many benefits to exercise.
One way to improve or maintain muscle tone and thereby improve one's appearance and aptitude for physical fitness is through muscle strengthening exercises and weight training. Typically, one must set aside time for this form of exercise in sessions of twenty to forty minutes two or three times per week in order to achieve results. Additionally, one must usually use special equipment such as machines or weights specifically designed for this purpose. Hence, one is again faced with the problem of rearranging one's schedule in order to maintain a regimen. Another less strenuous way to improve or maintain muscle tone is through muscle contraction and flexing exercises, also known as isometric or isotonic exercises. Isometric exercises using one's own body for resistance has proven to be very effective. Isometric exercise and muscle flexing also has the added benefit in that one can perform this activity while at work, school, or while traveling without disrupting one's ordinary schedule. Repeated contraction and flexion of varied and multiple muscle groups several times throughout the day, all day, can significantly increase the body's overall muscle tone and improve the elasticity of the muscles and skin, particularly for muscle groupS that are typical problem areas for most people such as shoulders, back, abdomen, and buttocks. This activity can be done without the notice of others, and therefore provides an advantageously discreet method for improving one's appearance and aptitude for fitness.
The difficulty in maintaining a consistent flexing schedule is that people become preoccupied with events and occurrences that make-up each day, and most people do not have the focus or memory to maintain regimen throughout the day. Telephone calls, meetings, various interruptions, and so on prevent a person from keeping a regular flexing schedule throughout the day. Moreover, people simply tend to forget to perform the flexing exercises, and after a while the program is relinquished.
There also exists a need for muscle flexion and exercise by patients recovering from injury or surgery. Often times a physician will recommend to his patient in a cast or otherwise immobilized that various extremities require flexing so that the muscles do not atrophy. This admonition is usually ignored or not heeded because the patient forgets to exercise the muscles throughout the day. Some patients employ expensive physical therapists to ensure that the muscle groups in question are exercised at regular intervals throughout the recovery period.
What the art needs is a device which will privately and unobtrusively signal a person to flex particular muscle groups at pre-selected intervals during the day, every day. A consistent signal would also serve to establish a "habit" of flexing.
Some have proposed alerts which can serve some of the objects of the present invention, although there are still serious drawbacks to the devices of the art. Most notably, Zigenfus, U.S. Pat. No. 4,801,921 proposes a control unit which secures to a user's belt, and includes leads which attach to the stomach area. Signals are sent from the control unit to the leads to remind the user to flex the stomach muscles. The disadvantages of the Zigenfus reference include the requirement of a control device which is bulky and cannot be concealed easily, thereby removing an element of privacy from the user. Others would likely be aware that the user was wearing the device, which would discourage many people from using it. Also, the Zigenfus device, because of its structural arrangement, is limited to one muscle group per wire set. Use of more than two wires as shown would not be practical since it would lead to problems such as tangling, bulkiness, discomfort, and less privacy. Additional wires would also affect one's choice of apparel in order to conceal the wires from a casual observer. Moreover, location of the alerts on the body is limited in the Zigenfus device. The practical application of the device is limited to regions adjacent the control unit, such as the stomach or pelvic regions because of the length of wire necessary to reach other areas. As a result, other important muscle groups such as the calves, arms, neck, and so forth cannot be "alerted" discretely by the Zigenfus device.
The prior art lacks a device and system for discretely, privately, and periodically signaling a user to flex a muscle group and which does not suffer from the drawbacks identified above.